


The Spider

by kingollie



Category: Ruby Redfort Series - Lauren Child
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Ok so warning: Casey takes out her own eye, Post-Canon, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 11:09:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12188847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingollie/pseuds/kingollie
Summary: After the events of Ruby's most recent mission she was looking forward to some down time. But it seems that she wouldn't be getting such a thing - since people didn't want to stay dead.





	The Spider

The first thing that Casey felt upon her consciousness returning was unyielding, stabbing pain - it stung her face and seemed to rip through her sides, as though someone was repeatedly digging a knife deep into her flesh and tearing down through the skin. A warm, sickly liquid was dribbling down her face and beginning to stain her shirt. The metallic stench of blood flooded her nostrils making her heave loudly, a thick choking sound leaving her trembling frame causing her to shudder. Disgusted. Her head throbbed and her eyes were watering over, tears pattering down onto the paving. The crying was caused only by the pain, sadness or distress never made her shed a tear. But still she fought back the desire to cry any more; mere pain was not worth this.

She swallowed hard, pushing herself up into a slumped sitting position. One hand moved up to touch her cheek. She flinched suddenly, pain shooting through her body - making her jolt. Fuck. Immediately she lowered her hand, staring down at it with the twist of a frown on her features - it was now smeared with her blood. The heavy coppery scent was much more overpowering, she rubbed her fingers on her clothing, spreading more blood about. Not that it really bothered her, the shirt was torn up anyway - she would need a new one after this. Evidently.

Her side burnt, almost torn completely - the wound looking mean and bloody but not as deep as it first appeared. When she had fallen she must've ripped open her left side on whatever barbed wire or metal that was above. It had broken her fall. But as left her with horrendous looking gashes.

Casey began to drag herself upwards into a standing position, leaning heavily on the wall still, her fingers clung pathetically to the old brickwork, pulling free little grains of cement from it. She wobbled precariously, turning her -working - eye skywards, staring up at the the roof, she saw no one. No sign of what had just occurred. But still. She needed to move, if Spectrum sent agents, which they would, then she needed to be long gone. Casey was certain that she would be sought after. LB would want to make sure of her death, after all she had done, the Spectrum 8 leader would be seething when her body wasn't discovered. The woman snorted, a sickening type of amusement coming from the thoughts of what she had done and nerves mixed with a fair amount of adrenaline. 

She pushed off the wall, beginning to trail warily into a dark, looming alleyway. Her feet dragged against the ground, moving slowly and with an air of worry, scraping her shoes thoughtlessly on the concrete. There was no need to harm herself anymore than necessary. Casey flicked her eyes around, her brows pinching together, watching nervously. She swallowed.

As she pulled herself forwards, her “bad” eye throbbed and she hissed, hand shooting up to cover the hole as it dribbled blood. Warm blood trickled into her palm, she groaned painfully, squeezing her eye shut. She couldn't leave it like this, not in this state. 

A horrendous idea crossed her mind. 

Casey swallowed, twisting about on the spot, very on-edge. Her body trembled violently and she heaved in a deep breath. Already her mind was set. She would get rid of it, doing so was the quickest and most effective course of action. She sniffed loudly. Her fingers moved to press about her eye socket, then proceeded to push in firmly. The woman did not flinched, nor did she waver for a second.

It didn't take very long, Casey did not stop until the task was over and she had practically torn the mangled, leaking eyeball from its -now malformed- socket. The feeling of nerves tearing and it actually be pulled out seemed not to bother her. She was surprisingly relaxed throughout the whole ordeal. Pain was just fear leaving the body, she reminded herself. She leant her head back, staring down at the mess in the palm of her hand. A glob of deflated, mangled muscle; dripping blood, muck and a jelly-like substance, twitching very, very slightly, sat in her hand. Pulsing against her skin. She dropped it thoughtlessly. And continued without a glance back.

She made her way towards the end of the alleyway, already planning out a quick and simple route away from the area. She would skirt the edge of the plaza and get to the furthest part of Twinford, perhaps she would steal a car. Or merely keep walking.

The woman turned the corner briskly, picking up speed as she stalked calmly down the more crowded street. Her head was lowered, in a small attempt to hide her face. The majority of people loitering on the street paid her no heed, continuing to chatter, and proceeding with their daily activities. Casey forced back the desire to scoff, people were pathetically oblivious, she turned forwards, slinking further away from the gaggles of teenagers. One elderly man, perched on the edge of a bench, blinked up at her dopily. His bony fingers clenched tight to a bottle of alcohol upon meeting her gaze, he swallowed nervously. Casey waited for the man to twist away from her eyes and stare warily down at his knees before she whipped about and slunk away. His unwavering stare bore into her back.

After about five minutes of power walking Casey noted the lack of people clustered about - she was in one of the poorer neighbourhoods now. Understandable not many people would be prancing about carelessly here. She was slower and more on edge as she slipped down another alleyway. All she would have to do is continue north and then eventually she would be in the clear.

Just as she was about to turn a corner Casey seized up, muscles already tensing with nerves. Voices. Two people, both males. She pressed her back up against the wall, breathing softly, slowing intakes and exhales. The men were speaking in barely audible hushed tones. The woman swallowed.

“Are you sure that the guy said they went this way?”

Casey raised her brows.

“Well. He was a drunk, elderly old man! We shouldn't have taken him at his word. Clearly.”

“Yeah well. LB will throw a fit. Christ. She's barely keeping it together as it is now.”

“Mm. All we have to go on is some shreds of shirt-”

“-and their fucking eyeball!”

“Yeah. That too.” Casey heard the man swallow. “Why would they…? Do that?”

“I heard it was already punctured. But. It's fucked.”

“Yeah…” A pause. “Come on. Let's head South. There's more reason for her to go that way: more buses, ways out.” She heaved in a sharp gasp as she heard the men turn about and walk. Directly towards the alley she was sheltering in. 

Casey pushed off the wall, whirling about on the spot. She huffed quietly, nervous and quickly becoming frightened. Shit. She needed to get out, hide or do something. Then she noticed something. A couple of dumpsters. Thank God. Casey dashed the width of the alley, and dropped down into a crouch behind them. Just as the two men came strolling into the street. Both wore expensive-looking suits, their Oxford shoes clicked loudly on the pavement. One froze on the spot.

“Hear that?”

“..No?”

“Oh. Guess it's just me. Thought I heard breathing.”

They continued on. Casey waited a good five minutes before emerging from her hiding spot. Nice try, LB. Your agents aren't nearly as thorough as you would've believed. Casey's lips curled up into a sneer - she would have given anything to see LB now. The woman would be struggling to keep in control.

Good.

Again, she turned and walked onwards with regained confidence. Hopefully the rest of the journey would be uneventful. 

Casey stopped upon reaching the crest of the hill, turned where she stood and cast her glare over the city of Twinford. The woman tipped her head as she watch the thriving place below, watching cars buzz about and tiny people dash back and forth. Only a few seconds later she had turned and darted north - towards the mountains that loomed over the city beneath.

Oh. But she would be back.

**Author's Note:**

> Ayooo. Chapter 1. Or Prologue. Whatever. But here you are! Enjoy. Shorter than some of the other chapters but, what can you do?


End file.
